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Crookedstar's Promise/Chapter 11
Chapter description :Crookedpaw is out training with Mapleshade again. She berates him for getting the move wrong, and Crookedpaw becomes frustrated. He tells Mapleshade that he needs to rest, and reminds her that he trains all day with Cedarpelt. He tries to explore ‘StarClan's' forest, but Mapleshade stops him and claws him on the ear. She tells Crookedpaw to remember his promise, hissing that he is not here to ask questions and is only here to learn. :Crookedpaw wakes to Oakpaw's tongue licking his wounded ear. He moves away from his brother and excuses the wound by saying he probably just scratched it in his sleep. He can hear rain on the roof of the apprentices' den where he sleeps, and Crookedpaw asks if the dawn patrol has left. Oakpaw says that they're in the clearing, and outside the den, Crookedpaw can hear Cedarpelt, Lakeshine, and Mudfur discussing taking back Sunningrocks. Crookedpaw winces as his claws ache, and Oakpaw asks Crookedpaw if he needs to see Brambleberry. Crookedpaw insists that he's fine and rubs off the dried blood. Beetlepaw wakes up and asks if anyone wants to go on the patrol Hailstar is leading. Petalpaw exclaims that she wants to go, then asks Crookedpaw if he's going since his mentor Cedarpelt is going as well. Crookedpaw mews that he hopes he is, and Oakpaw says that Shellheart is taking him fishing with Rippleclaw and Volepaw. :Crookedpaw noses his way out of the den and sees Shellheart assigning patrols with Echomist, Timberfur, Owlfur and Brightsky clustered around him. Hailstar pads out of his den and calls for Petalpaw, and she rushes over to the waiting patrol, Crookedpaw following. However, Cedarpelt tells Crookedpaw that he can't go, as they might meet an enemy patrol and he hasn't assessed Crookedpaw's battle skills yet. Crookedpaw indignantly mews that his battle skills are fine, but Cedarpelt promises that he'll assess his apprentice in the afternoon. :Crookedpaw hears a squeak behind him and realizes that he accidentally splashed Willowkit. He exclaims that he's sorry, and Willowkit's sister, Graykit, purrs that she was trying to stalk him. Brambleberry pads out of her den and tells the kits to get back to the nursery before they drown, and tells Crookedpaw that if he's got nothing better to do, he can fetch her coltsfoot. Crookedpaw remembers that the herb is by the waterfall, and promises Brambleberry that he knows what it looks like. Willowkit asks if she and her sister can come to, but Crookedpaw shakes his head, and Brambleberry tells them that they'll be safe in their nest, seeing Fallowtail staring at her kits from the nursery. Brambleberry warns Crookedpaw to be careful by the falls, and Crookedpaw promises that he won't let her down as he races out of camp. :The rain starts to ease and Crookedpaw reaches the falls. He climbs up the wet stone and stops beside a patch of coltsfoot, plunging his paws into the wet leaves and pulling out stems. A voice sounding behind him asking if he's Brambleberry's apprentice makes Crookedpaw jump, and he turns to see three WindClan warriors. Crookedpaw exclaims that they're on RiverClan territory, and the biggest cat, a brown tom, introduces himself as Reedfeather and says that he wishes to speak with Hailstar. Crookedpaw asks why, and Reedfeather dismisses the other two warriors before asking Crookedpaw's name. Crookedpaw replies that his name is Crookedpaw, and when Reedfeather asks if he's Brambleberry's apprentice, Crookedpaw shakes his head and says that he's Cedarpelt's. Reedfeather says that he hasn't seen him at a Gathering yet, and Crookedpaw explains that he just got his apprentice name. Reedfeather instructs him to lead, saying that he'll follow the apprentice. Crookedpaw is uncertain, but Reedfeather assures him that he just wants to speak with Hailstar. Noticing Crookedpaw glancing at the coltsfoot, Reedfeather tells him to bring it for Brambleberry. Crookedpaw snatches up the herb and warily leads Reedfeather to the river, where he prepares to cross. :Reedfeather asks if they can cross at the stepping-stones instead, and Crookedpaw awkwardly leads him further downstream and watches him cross. Crookedpaw darts after him and leads the way toward the camp. The apprentice ducks through the sedge tunnel and hears Volepaw call his name. Crookedpaw drops his coltsfoot and asks Volepaw why he's not fishing, and Volepaw begins to explain that Shellheart wanted to wait until the rain stopped but breaks off when he notices Reedfeather, exclaiming that Crookedpaw captured a WindClan warrior. Crookedpaw mumbles that he just sort of found him and he asked to see Hailstar. Shimmerpelt rushes out of her den having smelled WindClan, and asks what Reedfeather is doing there. :Reedfeather calmly looks around as more and more RiverClan cats notice him. Troutclaw, Birdsong, and Tanglewhisker emerge from the elders' den, bristling; Ottersplash, Lakeshine, Piketooth and Whitefang stop what they're doing to stare at him; and Oakpaw, carrying a frog, drops it in surprise when he sees Reedfeather, and no one tries to stop the prey as it hops away. Shellheart scrambles to his paws and asks Reedfeather why he's here. Reedfeather respectfully replies that he needs to speak with Hailstar, and when Shellheart informs him that the leader is on patrol, Reedfeather says that he'll wait. Birdsong bustles down the slope from the elders' den and tells Reedfeather that he needs to go back to WindClan, glancing nervously at Fallowtail's den. Crookedpaw wonders if Reedfeather was the cat with Fallowtail on the WindClan rocks all those moons ago. :Rippleclaw races into camp and skids to a halt in front of Reedfeather, hissing that he knew he smelled WindClan. Hailstar, Cedarpelt, Petalpaw and Beetlepaw follow him in. Shellheart nods to Hailstar and reports that Reedfeather asked to speak to him. Reedfeather says that he's come to ask for what is his. Suddenly, Willowkit and Graykit tumble out of the nursery despite their mother's best efforts, curious about the WindClan cat. Reedfeather mews that he's come to take his kits home. Crookedpaw wonders how a WindClan cat could have RiverClan kits. Fallowtail exclaims that he can't take them, and Crookedpaw realizes that Reedfeather is the father of Fallowtail's kits. Rippleclaw glares at Fallowtail and asks how she could be so disloyal, but Fallowtail protests that she hasn't met with Reedfeather in moons and was planning on raising the kits in RiverClan. She stares at Reedfeather and asks how he could even suggest taking them from her. :Reedfeather says that the kits are as much his as Fallowtail's. Hailstar asks Fallowtail if it's true that Reedfeather is their father, and she stares at the ground. Shellheart sighs that the kits have a right to be with their father, but Shimmerpelt, Piketooth, and many other RiverClan warriors protest. Rippleclaw cuts through the cries, asking how they could ever trust the kits if they're half-Clan. Tanglewhisker agrees, but Graykit cries that they'll always be RiverClan. Reedfeather points out that they're WindClan too, and assures that they'll be safer and well-fed in WindClan. Hailstar says no, but Reedfeather threatens war. Fallowtail whispers that she doesn't want trouble. Crookedpaw feels sick as she backs away from her kits, and he silently begs her not to give them up. Willowkit and Graykit are confused, but Fallowtail tells Hailstar that she's made her choice, as they can't risk war over her kits. :Hailstar softly tells the kits that they're going to live in their father's Clan, but Willowkit and Graykit protest as Reedfeather sniffs them. Reedfeather assures that they'll be loved in WindClan. Willowkit looks desperately at her mother, but Fallowtail stares at the ground, and although Crookedpaw wants to rush over and beg her not to let them go, he remains silent with the rest of RiverClan as Reedfeather scoops up Graykit. Graykit struggles and Willowkit begs RiverClan to help her, but she is forced to follow her sister out of camp. :Hailstar slowly pads to his den, and although Shimmerpelt and Birdsong try to comfort Fallowtail, the queen tears away from them and disappears into the nursery. Rippleclaw contemptuously asks why she's going there, and Ottersplash hisses at him to just shut up. Crookedpaw darts after Fallowtail, his heart aching for Willowkit and Graykit as he thinks about how terrified they must be without their mother. The young tom presses close to Fallowtail and whispers that he wouldn't have let Reedfeather take her kits if he was leader. Characters Major *Fallowtail *Reedfeather *Willowkit *Graykit }} Minor *Oakpaw *Cedarpelt *Lakeshine *Mudfur *Beetlepaw *Petalpaw *Volepaw *Shellheart *Hailstar *Brambleberry *Shimmerpelt *Piketooth *Rippleclaw *Tanglewhisker *Birdsong *Ottersplash }} Mentioned *Timberfur *Brightsky *Owlfur *Two unnamed WindClan warriors }} Mistakes *Mapleshade is described with an orange-and-white pelt. Notes and references Category:Chapter subpages Category:Crookedstar's Promise Category:Super Edition arc